Fort Myers, Fla. (3/22/12) - The Big Green defeated the Mean Green softball team, 7-6, with a squeeze play in the bottom of the eighth inning on Thursday afternoon on the campus of Florida Gulf Coast.

Fort Myers, Fla. (3/22/12) - The Big Green defeated the Mean Green softball team, 7-6, with a squeeze play in the bottom of the eighth inning on Thursday afternoon on the campus of Florida Gulf Coast.

The Mean Green falls to 12-15, while Dartmouth improves to 7-5. North Texas played its second straight extra-inning game and is now 2-6 overall this season in extended games.

North Texas jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning and added to the score with a three-run homer in the fourth inning. Dartmouth tied the game twice and then took the win in the bottom of the eighth with a squeeze play.

All four North Texas pitchers saw action in the game. Starter Ashley Kirk pitched three scoreless innings, allowing no hits and striking out six. Lauren Poole (2-3) took the loss. She pitched 3.1 innings and allowed one earned run off five hits.

Lesley Hirsch led off the game with a single. Lisa Johnson quickly knocked her home with a double for the first run of the ball game. Caitlin Grimes added to the score with a single up the middle, scoring Johnson from third.

Ashley McCarroll hit a three-run homer in the fourth inning to put North Texas ahead, 5-0. It was McCarroll's fifth home run of the season.

Dartmouth responded with five runs in the fourth inning to tie the game.

The Mean Green took the lead for the second time in the fifth inning with an unearned run. Pinch runner Jennifer Beardsley scored from second off a Big Green error.

Dartmouth tied the game for a second time in the sixth inning with a run off three hits. The Big Green led off the eighth with a single, the runner advanced to second on a groundout and moved to third off a Mean Green error. A bunt by Kara Curosh scored the runner from third, beating the throw.

North Texas outhit the Big Green,10-9, but left 10 runners stranded on base.

Johnson went 2-for-2 in the game with an RBI and three walks. Grimes and Jackie Miller both had multi-hit games.

The Mean Green returns to action on Saturday, March 24 when it faces FIU in conference play at 2 p.m. in Miami, Fla.